Under Normal Circumstances
by lynx-1614
Summary: Sam and Dean always found themselves a little uneasy when Cas made an unannounced appearance. But this time it's for good reason. Cas has brought news neither brother knows how to deal with. Are the brothers prepared for parenthood? -Rated T for Language
1. Chapter 1: An Unannounced Appearance

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 1: An Unannounced Appearance

The boys had a system. Albeit the system was chaotic and in constant disarrays it was a system nonetheless. Just as the brothers liked it to be.

Thus, the Winchester brothers always found themselves put on edge any time Castiel made an unannounced appearance in between cases.

"Cas! What the hell?" Dean barked when he laid eyes on the newly-arrived angel.

Skipping over any pretenses and common courtesy greetings, Castiel got straight to the point. "I have information for you."

Both Sam and Dean rolled their eyes at Castiel's frank statement.

"What is it, Cas?" Sam kindly inquired.

Dean kicked back and relaxed on his bed in the dingy hotel room. After a particularly strenuous and emotional case laid to rest, all he wanted was to eat a cheeseburger and sleep until the sun went down the following evening. Cas had a habit of showing up at the worst times. Dean grunted in annoyance. _Was one free evening too much to ask?_

"The angels all agree now is the best time to tell you-"

Sam leaned forward enthusiastically. "Tell us what?" Cas fell silent, fidgeting uncharacteristically. "Cas? Tell us what?" Sam repeated.

The brothers let Castiel pace in peace while he gathered his words. Finally, "There is another Winchester."

Dean opened his eyes, suddenly interested. Sam let his jaw hang open in amazement. Cas took a seat in a nearby chair.

"A- Another Winchester?" Sam stammered.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a Winchester? Same name, same blood, same genes? We have surviving family?"

"Who?" Sam leaned yet further forward, eyes wide, placing one hand on Castiel's knee.

Cas looked down at Sam's hand and shifted away from his touch. "We believe this Winchester will be a valuable resource for you two, someone to rejuvenate your spirits and your faith."

"Cas," Dean rasped, pulling himself up to a sitting position. "Who is he?"

Sam, still filled with child-like wonder, asked, "Is he a hunter, like us?"

"No, Sam," Cas answered thoughtfully. "Though she could be, with your help. If she joins you in your journey, she would be a great hunter."

"'She'?" Dean scoffed. "It's a girl?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes. A girl."

This time it was Dean's turn to lean far forward, although with less awe and more intimidation. "You still haven't answered my question, Cas. Who is she?"

"Her name is Maria. You can find her in Minnesota, with her parents."

Dean lowered his voice. "'With her parents'? Cas, how old is this kid?"

"Sixteen years."

"Whoa! Hold on a minute, Cas," Dean spluttered. "You expect us to turn a sixteen year old girl into a hunter? No can do, Cas. We're not taking an innocent girl with us on a case. She can stay with her parents."

"Taking the girl would be the best thing for her. And for you as well. You must find her," Castiel reasoned.

Sam spoke up, "Hang on, Cas. You haven't told us how she's related to us yet."

Castiel smiled at Sam. "She's your niece."

At this Dean laughed aloud. "'His niece'? What, did Adam get some chick pregnant when he was five?"

The smile left Castiel's lips. "No. You did, Dean, when you were seventeen."

"I what? Cas, don't you think I would know if I had a child," Dean gawked. _There was no way he had a child._

"No," Cas simply answered. "Not when you weren't supposed to know about her. Not until now, at least."

"So, you're saying you hid my kid from me until just the right time?"

Not understanding the source of Dean's anger, Cas replied. "Yes." When Dean's fist began to ball up, Castiel added, "She needed to grow up under normal circumstances."

"Who's the mother?"

Cas answered, "Karla Hein."

A small grin grew on Dean's face when he recognized the name. "I remember her." He though back sixteen years, to the day he and Karla had met. She was beautiful and interesting and so damn sexy. Their one night together had been special, almost magical in its thrill. Sam, Dean, and their father had skipped town the following morning. "Good times… What happened to her?"

"She died in child birth." The grin immediately faded from Dean's lips. Cas continued, "After her death we switched the child with another baby, one that had died in its birth. You certainly couldn't have taken care of her then. So, Karla's child, your child, has grown up believing she is the offspring of George and Nelly Lauerman. Maria's gotten a good education, participates in school activities, and has a close-knit group of friends. She's stubborn, determined, headstrong, curious, and, most importantly, has a strong faith in God. She is what you would consider to be 'normal'. But she is destined to leave her home in Minnesota to take up hunting with you."

Sam and Castiel waited patiently for Dean to react to the news, but his face was a blank slate.

"Dean? Dean, did you hear that?" Sam prompted.

Still, Dean did not stir.

"Dean! You have a child! A daughter! Right, Cas? And we should go find her!"

Still no change in Dean.

"Minnesota, you say? Come on, Dean, we're not working a job right now. Let's go."

This brought Dean out of his ponderings. "We can't take the kid," he declared with forlorn vigor.

"We don't have to take the kid with us," Sam nudged. "But don't you want to see her? Don't you want to meet your daughter?"

Dean stood up quickly from the bed, his reaction akin to being punched in the gut. "Of course I want to meet her, Same! But…"

Sam gingerly laid a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Let's just go to Minnesota. Just see her, that's all we have to do. You can decide whether or not she should join us then."

**Author's Note: So, what'd you think? Its the first fanfic I've ever posted online, so I hope it wasn't too terribly awful. Feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat!**

_**~Lynx**_


	2. Chapter 2: An Unspoken Agreement

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 2: An Unspoken Agreement

The car ride was filled with tension, excitement, and awkward silence all at once. As if from an unspoken agreement, neither Winchester brother spoke throughout the 16-hour drive to Minnesota.

Castiel had only told them she was in Minnesota and had disappeared quietly while Sam was persuading Dean to go. At a quick stop at a local diner just inside the state border, Sam flipped open his laptop to search the girl's name.

"Nothing on Maria Hein, but… 'Karla Hein and unnamed newborn die in hospital in childbirth.' That must be Maria. Let's see…" Sam resumed surfing the internet. "Maria Grace, born to George and Nelly Lauerman May 14th, 1996 in Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar. Maria is the third child following two older brothers… proud grandparents Henry and Lucille Lauerman…' Yeah, that's got to be Maria too, well, the living Maria. Our Maria."

Dean paused mid-bite and asked through a mouthful of food, "So she's in Willmar?"

"As far as we know, she could be. Realistically, she could be anywhere. We should find a phonebook." Sam was just about to flip the laptop closed when something caught his eye. He clicked on a link to Maria's facebook page and gasped when he saw her profile picture. She looked… just like Dean. Same eyes, same nose, same smile.

"What?' Dean asked, eyeing Sam's odd expression.

"Nothing," Sam answered too quickly, closing the laptop with a loud crash.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, then, Sammy," he murmured, dragging the words out. He took a final bit of his burger and suggested, "Let's get out of here. We got places to be."

Sam and Dean climbed back into the car and made their way towards Willmar where they checked into a charming little hotel. As soon as they were settled in their hotel room, Sam searched the inn for a phonebook and brought it back up to the room with him. Dean watched over his brother's shoulder as he flipped through the white pages.

"L… Lauerman…'George and Nelly Lauerman, 570 Bear Creek Court, Willmar.' Number is 269-7314. Dean, we're in the right town. Your daughter is here somewhere."

Daughter. _Why did everyone have to keep using that word?_ Dean didn't even know the girl; hell, he hadn't even known she existed 24 hours ago. He had no right to call her his daughter.

Dean backed away silently, kicked off his shoes, and shrugged off his favorite worn leather jacket. "Let's just get some shut-eye, Sammy," he advised.

Sam watched as his brother slid into one of the two beds and rolled away from him. He laughed inwardly at his brother. "He doesn't know what to do with himself," he chuckled quietly.

**Author's Note: Chapter two is up! I know this chapter is short, but I'm still just getting the ball rolling. Feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat!**

_**~Lynx**_


	3. Chapter 3: A Difficult Childhood

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, Lindsay the sandwich artist, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 3: A Difficult Childhood

Dean lay awake for hours that night thinking.

He had a daughter. Karla was dead. Maria was alive. She was here, in this town, somewhere. Her mind was innocent, her heart was unbroken. Whoever she was, she was perfect. She was his daughter, and even though they'd never met, he already loved her as only a father could.

Cas had said she was destined to leave everything behind, to hunt demons, but Dean couldn't bear to think of that. He and Sam had had a difficult childhood; they were screwed up. But Maria was not. She knew nothing of demons and monsters, had never experienced a hunter's hell life, and Dean was not about to ruin that naïveté for her.

Dean had only just fallen asleep when Sam woke. He took this time while Dean slept to search Maria's name again. _If Maria believed she was truly the Lauerman's child, how the hell were they going to convince her otherwise?_

Sam clicked to Maria's facebook page once more, this time without interruption. He scanned over her wall, smiling at the childish camaraderie and laughing at the girl's sharp wit. He browsed through her pictures and found exactly what he had expected: a photo of a girl, her two brothers, and her mother gathered around Mt. Rushmore; an album dedicated to silly pictures taken of friends on a local beach; a snapshot of her school's track team showing off their second places medals; a sweet photo of a young man with his arm wrapped around Maria. Her life really was perfectly normal. A tinge of envy crept into Sam's heart.

He sighed, closed his laptop, and pushed back from the desk he'd been sitting at. He looked back to find Dean still sleeping peacefully. Sam moved to stand at the foot of his brother's bed.

"Hey, Dean, get up."

When Dean didn't wake, Sam ventured over to the window and pulled the curtains open, letting the bright morning sunshine envelope the room. "Dean, come on, get up. Let's get going."

Finally Dean opened one eye and murmured something about Sam being one pesky snot-nosed son of a bitch. Sam just smirked and grabbed his duffel bag, carrying it into the bathroom with him.

* * *

Dean stuffed the torn-out page from the hotel's phonebook into his jacket pocket. The brothers grabbed some grub at the nearby McDonald's and started their search. Still, they didn't speak except to suggest a new direction. Neither man knew where they were going or what they were going to do when they got there, but they knew they had to go somewhere.

"We're not going to her house, Sammy."

"Why not?" Sam asked innocently.

Dean scoffed. "What would we say when we got there? 'Hey, you don't know us, but our angel-friend told us you're my daughter and that we're supposed to take you away from her to gank monsters.' Yeah, Sam, that'll get her to believe us."

Sam held up his hands in surrender. "Well, we've got to do something."

"Let's grab some lunch and we can decide where to go from there, okay?" Dean suggested, already taking the lead and driving the car towards the Subway they'd passed by three times that morning in their endless circling of the town.

The place was empty when they got there. The only other people were the workers. Sam stepped up to order first from the short red-haired girl at the counter. He was just telling the girl he wanted just lettuce and tomato on his sandwich when he noticed the second worker coming to take Dean's order. The tall, dark-haired girl flashed a smile at her customer and asked him what he wanted. Sam nearly did a double-take when he recognized the focused eyes, the charming smile, and the nametag on the uniform.

"Is that all" the ginger worker asked Sam for the third time.

Sam shook his head to regain focus on the situation at hand. "Yeah, and his sandwich too. Make them both combos," he answered, grabbing two bags of potato chips off the counter.

Dean paid for both their sandwiches with money he won the week before from a game of pool and took a seat at the table. Sam sat without touching his food, watching the girls chat behind the counter, while Dean immediately dug into the sub.

The dark-haired girl glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well that's if for my shift. See you later, Lindsay."

"Bye, Ria!" the shorter worker shouted as her friend bowed into the backroom to put away her apron.

Sam suddenly went into action. "Let's go, Dean."

"What? Why?" Dean asked through a mouthful of cold-cut turkey and ham.

Sam leaned down to whisper, "Because I think that girl was your daughter."

**Author's Note: Chapter three is now up! The ball is officially rolling. Please enjoy! Feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat!**

_**~Lynx**_


	4. Chapter 4: A Curious Look

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, Lindsay the sandwich artist, Cate the friend, Mason the extremely-hot soccer-playing boyfriend, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 4: A Curious Look

Sam and Dean rushed out of the Subway, earning a curious look from the worker named Lindsay. They jumped in the car and drove around the parking lot to Subway's back door. There they found the girl making her way to her car, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Drive up next to her," Sam ordered.

"No! What are you going to-" Dean protested.

Sam gruffly exclaimed while rolling his window down, "Just do it."

"What are you going to say?" Dean demanded in a hushed tone as the car came to a stop beside the girl.

Sam waved his hand out the window to get her attention. She said something into her phone before lowering her hand. Then she stepped closer to Sam's side of the car.

"Excuse me, can you tell us how to get back on the highway from here?" Sam asked as innocently and as warmly as humanly possible.

The girl faked a smile. "Oh, yeah, sure. You just want to go that way until you reach 7th street, then take a right. Turn at the BP station onto the highway."

Sam turned to look at Dean, who was staring wide-eyed at the girl. He didn't blink. Sam turned back to Maria before she could notice and be creeped-out by the man she didn't know was her father.

"Thanks," Sam replied with a big grin.

Maria began walking again, returning to her phone conversation. "Just some guys asking for directions. I'll be there in a bit, just going to grab some snacks at the Holiday. Save me a seat at the game, Cate. Later!"

The girl was already in her car before Dean even thought to drive off the lot.

"Smooth," Sam chuckled.

"Shut up, Sammy," was Dean's snarky reply. "You'd have done the same thing if you'd just laid eyes on your daughter."

Sam nodded his head thoughtfully in agreement. "Where to now?"

Dean's eyes gleamed with a hint of mischief. "The Holiday."

The brothers drove off in the direction of the gas station, reaching it just before Maria did. Sam filled the car with gas – it was actually near empty, believe it or not – while Dean entered the Holiday behind an unaware Maria.

Inside the building, the girl searched the aisles for cheap sugary snacks. Again, Dean ogled at her. He didn't need a paternity lab test to tell him she was his. It was quite obvious. If it wasn't his exact features, it was Karla's. She had inherited her mother's rich, silky hair the color of night, her angular face, and her long, slender body. God, she was beautiful. Just like her mother.

Maria took her bags of twizzlers and M&Ms to the register. Desperate to stay near her, to hear her voice, to see her smile, Dean grabbed the snack nearest him and rushed to stand behind his daughter in line for the register.

The guy at the register swiped Maria's snacks and announced the price at $2.28. She handed over three dollar bills and took back her change.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. Dean's smile. Just hearing her say that one word, he lost himself again. She sounded just like her mother.

Maria grabbed her candy off the counter and turned to find the creepy guy from the parking lot staring at her. Again. She forced a smile onto her lips and bobbed her head in a curt greeting.

Dean caught himself staring and scolded himself for not being discreet as he stepped up to the register to pay for the snack he'd grabbed in a hurry. Funions, yum.

Back in the car, Sam waited for Dean to return. Maria exited the station, soon followed by Dean. His brother hopped into the driver's seat and waited patiently – for what, though, Sam wasn't sure.

Maria pulled out of the lot in her old green Sable. Dean revved up the Impala, allowed three cars to get in between the Sable and the Impala, and then followed at a distance.

"Now where are we going?"

His eyes glued to the road, Dean briskly answered, "The game."

After that, neither brother spoke. They followed Maria around town and ended up at a soccer field behind the high school. They clambered out of the car and Dean started towards the bleachers.

Sam grabbed him by the arm and hissed, "Dean, if the girl sees us again, she's going to think we're stalking her."

Dean glared at his younger brother and wrenched his arm free of his grip. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but that's kind of what we're doing. It's just for today; then we'll get back to the job."

"Dean…" Sam warned, the name coming out as a sigh, while Dean strode away.

The brothers made themselves comfortable standing by the little bleachers, in prefect view of both the game and the group of girls sitting in the bleachers watching the game. In order to keep up appearances, Sam kept his eyes on the game, cheering for the team in the red uniforms. The two teams were well matched, but at the moment the red home team was winning. He recognized one of the players from a photo he'd seen on Maria's facebook page. He guessed the kid was her boyfriend. Dean's gaze shifted from the field to the spectators, but spending most of its time on the group of girls. The group was comprised of Maria and three of her friends.

The home team scored a goal and the spectators erupted in cheers. Sam elbowed his brother to remind him to cheer as well. Dean's muttered cussing was drowned out by the thunderous cheers.

**Author's Note: How do you think Maria feels about being stalked by two creepy guys? Share your ideas! I type these pretty fast, and even though I use spell-check, sometimes that just isn't good enough. If you see any spelling errors or other errors of any type, send me a message so I can fix it ASAP! As always, feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat! **

_**~Lynx**_


	5. Chapter 5: A Good Attempt

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, Lindsay the sandwich artist, Cate the friend, Mason the extremely-hot soccer-playing boyfriend, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 5: A Good Attempt

From her spot in the bleachers, she could see them. As much as she wanted to focus on the game, she couldn't shake the weight of the man's stare.

It was the same two guys. She'd served them at work, and then they'd asked her for directions to the highway. She didn't question anything when she was the silent man at the gas station; they probably had a long drive ahead of them. But _this_? This was creepy.

This was stalking.

She'd seen their car following her to the game. They'd made a good attempt to be discreet, but their ancient car stuck out like a sore thumb.

They kept staring at her. At least the taller man was trying to be subtle about it; the smaller man had scarcely looked away.

_Was it just her, or did he look vaguely familiar?_

When the timer finally hit zero and her home team had won 2-0, Maria jumped to her feet. She caught her boyfriend Mason's eye on the soccer field and flashed him a big thumb's up, and then turned to find her stalkers slowly walking away. The smaller, silent one looked back one last time at her with the most peculiar expression on his face.

Suddenly overcome with the urge to confront these two guys about their creepy habit, Maria clutched her bag and started swiftly after them. She wasn't sure what she expected to happen when she reached them, but she knew she had to do something.

Maria cornered the men at their car, calling out to them before they could drive away. "What the hell do you think you're doing? What kind of sick, twisted game is this, huh? Following some girl around all day excite you, does it?"

Dean leaned out his window, wishing the girl would keep her voice down. "Look, I'm sorry, but-"

"'Which way to the highway'? You're no where near the highway, boys! What do you want from me?" she seethed. Dean had to suppress a smile; she had her mothers temper too.

This time Sam answered. "We just want to talk to you. Just for a second."

Maria glanced around her for a second, contemplating the request. Then, "Fine. What is it?"

Sam and Dean slid out of the car and the three leaned against the hood of the Impala. Almost all the spectators were gone by now and those that remained were paying no attention.

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but the girl cut him off. "Who are you?"

"My name is Dean. My brother, Sam," the smaller man answered, gesturing to the man beside him. Maria nodded her head in confirmation but said no more, preferring to let the brothers explain themselves.

Dean looked to Sam for help but got nothing from it. They still hadn't decided what they were going to say when they finally met with her. In fact, they had just been walking away with the intention of packing up the car and leaving Willmar and Maria in the rear view mirror forever. That is, until the girl called them out. Dean decided to tell her the truth "This is going to sound crazy, but-" Or, at least, he tried to.

Then Castiel suddenly appeared in all his angel glory.

Maria jumped back and stifled a scream.

"Good. You found her. Is she going with you?" Cas asked the boys.

The girl's eyes grew wide. She fount for coherent words. "What the fuck was that? Who are you really?" she demanded in a fierce hiss.

"I am Castiel, an angel of the Lord."

At this she scoffed, but didn't entirely rule that one out as a possibility. A man just appeared out of thin air! _She'd believe even unicorns were real right about now._ "And you two?"

"I told you. I'm Dean Winchester, and this is my little brother Sam. And Cas here, he really is an angel."

Maria just stared at the man, asking him silent questions.

"You're not going to believe this, but-"

"Try me," she challenged, crossing her arms and jutting out her pointed chin.

"We've travelled a long way to find you," Dean answered.

Maria frowned. "Me? Why?"

Castiel stepped in. "Because you are meant to save these boys' souls, to rejuvenate their faith and their hearts." He turned to Sam and Dean. "Have you not told her?"

The poor, confused girl shook her head. "I… Tell me what?"

Dean moved to stand right in front of his daughter, to look her straight in the eye - the eyes they shared. He reached for her hand and held it gingerly, cautiously. "I'm your father."

**Author's Note: How's Maria going to react to that bombshell? What would you do? Share your thoughts/ideas! Also, I type these things pretty fast, and even though I use spell-check, sometimes that just isn't good enough. If you see any spelling errors or other errors of any type, send me a message so I can fix it ASAP! As always, feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat! **

** ChevyImpala1967: Dude, you're good! You almost had the exact words! Thanks for the comment!**

_**~Lynx**_


	6. Chapter 6: A Small Smile

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own _Supernatural_ or its characters. Maria, George & Nelly Lauerman, Lindsay the sandwich artist, Cate the friend, Mason the extremely-hot soccer-playing boyfriend, and Karla Hein are mine, however.**

**Under Normal Circumstances**

Chapter 6: A Small Smile

Maria laughed nervously at the absurdity of it all. "My… No." She slumped against the car. "No, no, no, no, no."

Castiel replied matter-of-factly, "He is, Maria."

The girl shook her head frantically, as if to wake herself up from a dream. "How do you know my name? How is any of this even possible?" she breathed, holding her head in her hands so not all of her sanity would leave her.

Cas was ready with all the answers. "Dean Winchester is your father. Your mother was Karla Hein…" Maria nodded and listened intently to the angel's story of her birth and the switch-up, ending the tale by sharing her fate. "You are destined to leave your home and to hunt with your real family in their journeys."

All the while Maria listened; she frequently cast a glance at the men who were supposed to be her uncle and father. As insane as this all sounded, she could see some similarities between herself and her supposed father. They had the same eyes, green with flecks of hazel, and the same smile, warm and charming and mischievous all at once. Heck, they even had the same freaking nose! Not to mention an angel had told her so. Angels don't lie. They're freaking ANGELS for God's sake!

"Maria?"

She was quickly taken from her thoughts and inner turmoil by a soft and gentle voice whispering her name.

"She hasn't said anything. Why hasn't she said anything?" The soft voice grew panicked from her silence.

A small smile tugged at her lips. The guy who might be her father was certainly an odd character. _Was she actually beginning to grow fond of this guy?_

"I… I don't know what to say."

The guy called Sam knelt down next to Maria and took her small trembling hands in his. They were strong and rough but warm enough that she didn't try to pull away. "I know how crazy this must all sound, its crazy for us too. Cas told us about you just days ago. We've been searching for you ever since. Dean just wanted to meet you. We have no intentions of leaving this place with you in tow."

Maria thought a moment – a rather long moment that seemed to last an eternity – then slipped her hands from Sam's, wiping them on her pants as she stood. She looked between Dean and Castiel. "Prove it to me. Can you prove you're really my father?"

Cas glanced at Dean knowingly and stepped towards Maria, his hand outstretched with two fingers pointed. Dean quickly jumped in the way. "No angel crap, Cas. We want her to trust us, not follow us under some friggin' spell." Cas shrank back in disappointment.

"A paternity test," Sam suggested. "You can get testing kits at a drugstore."

Maria grinned at her could-be uncle. "I'm game."

Dean flashed his signature smirk at the group gathered around his car. "Where's the nearest drugstore?"

Slapping the hood of the Impala, Maria commanded, "Follow me," and started for her own car.

The brothers and a very impatient Castiel tailed Maria's Sable to the local drugstore. They met at the entrance and proceeded to scan the aisles together.

At the end of the condoms-and-pregnancy-tests aisle, Dean stopped abruptly. "Is this it?" he asked holding up a blue box.

Sam took the box from his brother in the same way you'd take pointy scissors from a curious toddler. "Yeah. This is it."

Dean angrily snatched the box back from Sam and strode off towards the check-out. When Sam, Maria, and Cas finally caught up, Dean was already waiting in line to be checked-out by a young blonde.

"Oh, no, you don't," Maria hissed, pulling Dean into the other line, one with a much older cashier. "I know that girl." When Dean started to protest, she elbowed him forcefully in the gut. 'Don't you think it'll look a little suspicious if she catches one of her classmates buying a paternity test kit with three strange guys?"

Cas answered, "Good point. You should wait in the car."

Maria furrowed her eyebrows angrily. "No!" she seethed. "I will not be told to wait in a car. Not by you three."

Sam relented. "You're right. Well wait with you. Cas, come on," and with that, they left Dean to pay for the test by himself.

The three didn't have to wait long. They'd parked in the back of the lot away from the view of the customers. There, Sam read the directions on the box while Dean and Maria collected cell samples from their cheeks. "Alright. Now all we have to do is send the samples to this lab and we should have the results back in three to five work days," he read aloud.

"And what are you guys going to do in the meantime?" Maria inquired.

Dean pondered the question for a short moment before answering. "Who knows? It's about time we got a day off from the job. Now we've got three to five days off."

"What job? What do you guys do for a living?"

"That, baby girl," Dean answered, poking a finger real close to Maria's face, "is a question for another day."

She pushed his hand away. It was true she was growing fond of the boys, but she didn't appreciate being called "baby girl". "What'll you do if the test comes back positive?" she asked in a near-whisper.

"Which it will," Cas added.

Dean shot a glare at Castiel. "Well send a card on your birthday, maybe a keychain for Christmas."

Dean didn't notice his daughter shrink in disappointment, but Sam did.

"That's it? Whatever happened to 'you are destined to leave your home and to hunt with your real family'?"

Dean almost laughed aloud. "Trust us, baby girl. You don't want to know how we live."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know I'm not living in hell right now? You've never met my family. How do you know they're not abusing me?" she challenged.

Honestly, the thought hadn't occurred to Dean, and, panicked, he glanced at Cas who shook his head. He was immediately flooded with relief. "Because Cas here has been keeping tabs on you. He'd have done something if someone was hurting you." Dean answered.

Maria gave up the argument with a curt "Whatever." Then she glanced down at her watch. "I have to get home for dinner. Are you guys going to be sticking around 'til the test results come?"

Sam nodded. "We got a hotel room. We'll be here."

Maria kicked at the ground nervously. "Can we talk later? Tomorrow maybe?"

"Sure," Sam replied. The three with cell phones exchanged numbers.

"Alright," Maria said, "I'll talk to you guys some other time." And with that she hopped into her car and drove off.

"Well today has been productive," Castiel started. Sam and Dean just rolled their eyes and climbed into the Impala. They drove away leaving Cas to make a grand Angel-exit for no audience.

**Author's Note: Sorry it's been forever since I last posted. But I hope this chapter makes up for it. What do you think is going to happen tomorrow? Share your thoughts/ideas! Also, I type these things pretty fast, and even though I use spell-check, sometimes that just isn't good enough. If you see any spelling errors or other errors of any type, send me a message so I can fix it ASAP! As always, feel free to read, review, comment, criticize-praise is cool too, just sayin'-share, or whatever else floats your boat! **

_**~Lynx**_


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